2013 Scion FR-S

It may be a Subaru at heart, but this rear-drive Toyota product has its own personality.

It is no secret that the upcoming 2013 Scion FR-S (known as the Toyota 86 in Japan) is nearly identical to the 2013 Subaru BRZ. In fact, both automakers are forthcoming about this partnership. Toyota led the product planning and styling, whereas Subaru led the engineering development and manufacturing. Although strong brand differentiation may seem like a high priority in today's business climate, it is quite surprising how similar the BRZ and Scion turned out, both inside and out.

2013 Scion FR-S

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Powering the Scion is a Subaru-developed direct-injected 2.0-liter flat-4 with 200 bhp and 151 lb.-ft. of torque. Two 6-speed transmissions are available: a manual or an automatic. The rear-drive FR-S has MacPherson struts in front, a double-wishbone rear, and a Torsen limited-slip differential.

2013 Scion FR-S

Low Center of Gravity

The Scion's chief engineer, Testuya Tada, says the FR-S will rekindle a love affair for the back-to-basics sports car—a lightweight rear-driver with a low center of gravity. Initially there was some tension between the companies about whether the car should be all-wheel drive or rear-drive (can you guess which was rooting for which?) In fact, development even stopped at one point because the two could not come to a resolution. Then a rear-drive prototype was built, which demonstrated the advantages of less overall weight and the ability to package the powertrain tighter and lower to the ground. The result is a center-of-gravity height of 18 1 inches for the FR-S, which is lower than that of the Porsche Cayman and Nissan GT-R, and less than an inch higher than that of exotics such as the Lexus LFA, Porsche 911 GT3 and Ferrari 360.

2013 Scion FR-S

Most Popular

On-Track Prowess

At a track about an hour's drive southeast of Tokyo, Toyota turned us loose on the Sodegaura Forest Raceway in the Chiba Prefecture. In the cold and slightly damp morning hours, several FR-S prototypes were available to sample, left- and right-hand-drive models with manual and automatic transmissions. Fitted with Michelin Primacy HP 245/45R-17 tires, the Scion FR-S tackled the short but interesting track with confidence. Although water was still running across the track in places from rain the day before, the car speeds through the slick spots with only a slight rear-end wiggle, never losing its composure. The steering feels solid, with good sensitivity at turn-in. Tracking through the corner, the FR-S feels adequately powerful as it builds forward momentum. The short-throw gearbox is precise, though a bit notchy between 2nd and 3rd gear.

2013 Scion FR-S

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

For those who think the 6-speed automatic transmission is a wrong fit for this car, you might think twice after spending some time with the paddle shifters in sport mode. The auto gearbox's origin is the sporty Lexus IS-F's 8-speed paddle-shift transmission, and the FR-S takes full advantage of the quick shift times that make the car feel alive on the track.

2013 Scion FR-S

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Even when the damp track turned to a wet track with heavy rain in the afternoon, the Scion still kept its cool. With sport mode on, the stability control keeps you in check but still lets the car's tail hang out a bit for some controlled oversteer fun. If you'd like to be more brave, depress the stability control button for full 3 seconds. This shuts the traction control completely off. Surprisingly, the FR-S is still easy to drive, with excellent balance and progressive oversteer that gives you plenty of time to react before any potential embarrassing moments.

2013 Scion FR-S

Different personality?

A quick look at the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ won't reveal any big styling differences, apart from a few details on the front lower cap and fender. And inside, everything remains similar as well. Chief engineer Tada noted that there is nothing mechanically different between the two cars except the FR-S has softer springs and more aggressive damping. That is done to allow the Toyota version to feel more rear-biased in its handling and have reduced understeer characteristics.

2013 Scion FR-S

Most Popular

Another way Scion intends to set the FR-S apart from its near-identical Subaru sibling is to allow its buyers to personalize the car as much as possible. Besides various trim options, the car will be available with chassis tweaks—such as larger anti-roll bars—that will improve the car's handling.

Pricing has not been set, but we suspect the 2013 Scion FR-S will be less than the Subaru BRZ, which is estimated at $25,000. Do we sense some ribling rivalry already?